First off I’ll announce that D&D is making my Bonneville Racing Exhaust System. This system, designed to take may ass to Sturgis, is the street version. My goal was to make a set of pipes that performed well and were close in so I could bolt them to the driveline. It’s prohibitive to attach a rubber mounted engine exhaust system to the frame. Suddenly there’s more vibration and it will generally tear the shit out of the pipes.

The engine and trans move around, and the frame remains solid. I’m working with Wil Phillips of True-Track to control the standard touring wobbles and handling problems. Wil is the master of Touring Handling with the True-Track (under the transmission Heim joint system), stronger front motor mount, Buell style rear motor mounts and he recommended I use his stainless Heim joints and a ¾-inch transmission axle. We’ll cover that more, but if you have a dresser, you need to check his site.

Wil also supplied me with solid, lubricated bronze swingarm bushings. I pressed the stock rubber jobs out of the swingarm before I sent it to powder. The bronze bushing also eliminated all the caps, washers and spacers associated with the stock bushings. I will also us Wil’s fork dampers for both bikes, for handling and fulfilling the SCTA Bonneville racing rules.

I hate to admit this, but we may have eaten a couple of digital film cards and I’m pissed. I don’t know why? Well, I do. It’s a pain in the ass to work on a bike, then stop to take shots. It’s like the mad scientist trying to stop, so he can document his insanity. Actually I enjoy slapping these articles together, just wish I had a staff, a photographer and a gorgeous redhead note- taker following me around all day.

We started with the notion of a two into one system for several reasons. We wanted a tight system and Jason, from Roland Sands Design, recently told me that a properly designed two-into-one system can make up for unequal length pipes, because one pipe is helping to pull the exhaust pulses out of the other. I grabbed a used Thunderheader and sliced it off at an angle and positioned it near the center of the transmission and made a mounting bracket.

Then I started bending a chunk of 16-gauge, standard car exhaust pipe coated with aluminum to prevent rust. I bent a piece of welding rod as a guide and went to work with my Muffler Master non-mandrel bender. It’s a blast to mess with, but unable to make super tight bends.

I turned to Hooker header bend segments and began to piece the exhaust, with various bends, cut with a Makita saw and held in place with Hooker exhaust alignment sleeves then tack- welded. My bender is cool for slight adjustments, or spreading pipes to slip over another one, but it won’t give the tight bike bends I need and make ‘em cool.

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